diff --git a/src_main/io_devices/piconfig.h b/src_main/io_devices/piconfig.h
index 40e1d808..b53a180b 100755
--- a/src_main/io_devices/piconfig.h
+++ b/src_main/io_devices/piconfig.h
@@ -525,15 +525,16 @@ inline PICout operator <<(PICout s, const PIConfig::Entry & v) {s << v.value();
  * from configuration file in implementation \a PIIODevice::configureDevice() function */
 template<typename T>
 T readDeviceSetting(const PIString & name, const T & def, const PIConfig::Entry * em, const PIConfig::Entry * ep) {
-	PIVariant v = PIVariant::fromValue<T>(T());
-	if (ep != 0) {
-		bool ex;
-		v.setValueFromString(ep->getValue(name, def, &ex).toString());
-		if (!ex) v.setValueFromString(em->getValue(name, def).toString());
+	PIVariant v = PIVariant::fromValue<T>(def);
+	if (ep) {
+		bool ex = false;
+		PIString sv = ep->getValue(name, def, &ex).toString();
+		if (!ex)
+			return def;
+		v.setValueFromString(sv);
 		return v.value<T>();
 	}
-	v.setValueFromString(em->getValue(name, def).toString());
-	return v.value<T>();
+	return def;
 }
 
 #endif // PICONFIG_H